Hose.



E. '1. GREENPIELD.

HOSE. 7

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY ITED STATES PATENT onnron EDWIN 'r. GREENFIELD, or KIAMESHA, NEW YORK.

HOSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

-Application filed January 20, 1908. Seria1 No.411, 582.

use in carrying a fluid such as steam or compressed air.

The invention is applicable particularly.

' to flexible metallic hose for use as end-conthrough is rendered unnecessary.

nectors for the train-p1- es of adjacent cars of a railway train, the fl exibility of the hose enabling the adjacent cars to move relatively without interrupting the continuity of the passage for the steam or air.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a hose for this use which possesses the requisite strength and flexibility, which may be manufactured at comparatively small cost, and which is constructed entirely ofmetal so that rapid deterioration thereof under the influence of thefluid carried by the hose is avoided. .These objects are attained 'by the provision of a hose having. in its walls a plurality of annuli of thin, flat metal such that the bending of these annuli permits fiexture of the hose in any direction. These thin metal pieces supply all the flexibility required in a hose for use as an end-eonnector so that the employment of non-metallic parts which would be injuriously affected by the steam isavoided and the provision of pivotal joints in. the hose formed to permit the passage. of the fluid there- The preferredembodiment of tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 1s a sectional elevation of the end-connectors, and Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections of the hose on lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 1, respectively.

Referringto these drawings, 4, 4 indicate the adjacent ends of the train pipes ontwo adjacent cars of a train, these eing provided withl downwardlyturnedends as shown, adapted to be connected by the flexible end-connectors provided with 'detachable couplings 6 at their free ends. The endconnectors are made entirely of metal so that they will be well able to resist the action and strain thereon of the steam or commy inveneach of the pipes 4 is turned downwardly as shown, and-to this end of the pipe the connector 1s oined in any suitable manner, 'as bymeans of a sleeve 7 threaded into the end of the pipe 4. From this sleeve the end-con nector extends vertically downward and then laterally in a direction approaching the horizontal. The vertically disposed portion of the end-connector consists of'aplurality of tubular members 8, aplur'ality of rings 9.

and 10 and a plurality of thin metallic annuli 11, each of the latter joining two of the tubular members and rings. Each of the tubular members 8 consists of a sleeve having at one end an integral annular portion 12 lying in a plane substantially transverseto the axis of the hose and a flange 13 at the edge of the ortion-12 extending a short distance in a irection parallel to the axis of the hose. The face of the flange 13 on each of the members 8 is provided with a groove and in-each of the ends of each of the sleeves 9 and 10 is a similar groove. Each of'the .thiri metal annuli 11 is provided with a flange 14 at its outer edge turned at substantially a right-angle to the plane of the annulus and a flange 15 at its inner edge also turned at an angle substantially of ninety degrees to the plane of the annulus but'in a direction opposite to that in which flange 14 is turned. The flange 14 is secured in the groove in the face of the flange 13 on tubular member 8 in any suitable manner, as by means of solder, and the flange 15 is SllIIlllarly secured in the groove in one end of the sleeve 9; at the other end of the sleeve 9 the flange 15 on the inner'ed e of a similar annulus 11 is secured in 11 e manner in the groove in the sleeve. The flange at the outer edge of this annulus and a flange at the outer edge of a similar annulus aresecured in grooves'in the opposite edges of a sleeve or ring I0 of larger diameter than sleeve-9.

In this'manne'r as many of the thin metallic annuli as may be desired are secured between two of the tubular members 8, the

dependent upon the length desired for the completed end-connector. A plurality of the thin metal annuli 11 are also interposed in like manner between this tubular member and a similar one in the manner above described.

A rigid metallic pipe 17 has one end connected by a suitable thread with the sleeve of the lowest tubular member 8, this pipe having therein a bend, as shown, so that the major portion of it extends in a direction approaching the horizontal. At the free end of this pipe 17 is secured the detachable coupling-member whereby the ends of two of the end-connectors are joined. The end-connector at the right of Fig. 1 is constructed in all respects llke that on the left, above described.

The end-connectors are of suchsize that when the cars of a train are at the normal distance apart the ortions thereof having the metallic annuli therein are vertically tion maybe necessary to allow for this movement of the cars while still maintaining the passage for the air or steam. This flexure is provided wholly by the-thin metal annuli, each of which allows a small amount of relative movement of the parts connected thereby and the sum of these relative movements being quite sufficient to make up. the requisite flexibility of the connector. It will be seen that since the hose is constructed entirely of metal it will not be injuriously affected by the fluid passing therethrough.

Having now described my mvention, what I claim as new therein and desireto secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. A flexible end-connector for a train pipe consisting of a normally straight, flexible tubular metallic member adapted to. be connected to and to extend vertically downwardly from the end of the train-pipe and having in its wall a plurality of annuli of thin metal disposed in a plane substantially transverse to the axis of the member and adapted to flex to permit bending of the member, arigid tubular metallic member connected to the lower end ofsaid member and bent intermediate its ends to extend laterally therefrom, and a detachable coupling on the free end of said last-named tubular member, substantially as set forth.

2. A flexible end-connector for a trainpipe consisting of a tubular metallic member adapted to be connected to and to extend downwardly from the end of the train-pipe, said member consisting of metallic sleeves, substantially flat annuli of thin metal be tween said sleeves disposed substantially transverse to the axis of the member, and integral flanges on the edges of said annuli turned at an angle thereto and embedded in grooves in the ends of said sleeves, a rigid tubular member connected to the lower end of said member and bent intermediate its ends to extend laterally therefrom, and a detachable coupling on the free end of said last-named member, substantially as set forth.

This specification s'i gned and witnessed-this 14th day of January, 1908.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD.

Witnesses:

WM. T. RUETE, CHAS. E. Vinson. 

